No one would pretend that Beowulf was an easy read, but you do get a dragon at the end. Conversely, with Google’s terms and conditions, the best you can hope for is a button saying “accept”. However, most people skip to that bit first anyway.

Scientists have analysed the literacy level required to understand internet user agreements. They found that Google’s was harder to understand than the epic Anglo-Saxon poem.

Facebook’s agreement, however, was even worse — you would have to pick up The Prince by Machiavelli to find a more complex addition to the canon of literature. But if you